Environmental Education Resources Directory

Chesapeake Bay

Classes/workshops

• Educational programs
  Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
  Training programs are available for middle and high school teachers in using the Oceanography Forum on Learning Link. Workshops and programs on other topics are being developed. Contact CBNERR for scheduling information.

• Celebrate the Chesapeake Bay
  The Mariners' Museum
  A wide variety of educational programs about the Chesapeake Bay are available for groups of all ages. Contact MM for fees and scheduling information.

• Chesapeake Bay watershed
  USFWS Chesapeake Bay Field Office
  This teacher in-service training on the Bay and associated watershed includes an overview of the geology, geography and natural history of the watershed with an emphasis on showing how stewardship of the land relates to cleaner waterways. The program is available to groups of 12 to 25; participants will receive free teaching materials. No charge; contact USFWS/CBFO to schedule.

Curriculum materials

• 4-H Chesapeake Bay projects
  Virginia Cooperative Extension Service
  These three units are for middle school students on Chesapeake Bay issues (soil erosion, nutrients and underwater plants). Contact local extension office/4-H agent.

• Chesapeake Bay teaching materials lending library
  Virginia Institute of Marine Science
  This collection contains more than 100 videos, software packages, activity guides and other aids for teaching about the Bay and other environmental issues. Contact VIMS to request a catalog of materials.

Education grants

• Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund
  Virginia Division of Legislative Services
  Grant program for environmental education and action-oriented conservation and restoration projects. Contact VDLS for an application form and criteria for grants.

Events

• Estuaries Day
  Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
  This festival, held annually on the third Saturday in September, celebrates coastal environments and resources. The day-long event is held at York River State Park and features river cruises, games, canoe trips and exhibits with estuarine and environmental themes. Appropriate for all ages. Contact CBNERR for additional information.

Exhibits

• Traveling exhibit
  Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
  This exhibit about the activities of ACB includes a tri-fold display, slide show and copies of ACB publications and is available with staff for fairs and meetings. Available at no cost from ACB; please schedule several weeks in advance.

• Research and Education for Virginia's Estuaries
  Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
  This traveling exhibit describes the Reserve's research, monitoring, education and volunteer efforts. Contact CBNERR to schedule. Must schedule for at least two weeks.

Field trips/site tours

• Bill Portlock field studies
  Bill Portlock
  Field studies can be arranged for school or other groups; topics can include Chesapeake Bay ecology, marsh ecology, ornithology and general environmental education. Contact Bill Portlock to specify details. Daily fee is $300; mileage is charged for travel to sites more than 50 miles from Bowling Green.

• Taskinas Creek field trips
  Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
  Taskinas Creek, a CBNERR site within York River State Park, is open to school groups. Teachers are responsible for programming and activities. Contact CBNERR to arrange a visit.

• Chesapeake Bay: A Way of Life
  The Mariners' Museum
  This one-day study program of the Bay includes a museum visit, an environmental study and an exploration of Hampton Roads Harbor. Contact MM for scheduling information; the program costs $17.50 per student.

• Virginia Marine Science Museum
  Virginia Marine Science Museum
  This facility houses 100,000 gallons of fresh and salt water aquaria and numerous hands-on exhibits designed to involve the visitor in every aspect of the state's marine environment. Contact VMSM for information about fees and group reservations. A membership program is also available.

• York River cruises
  Watermen's Museum
  Ninety-minute cruises aboard a 42-foot Chesapeake deadrise highlight ways the York River has been used by watermen and the methods used to harvest its products. Contact WM to schedule; the cruise costs $7.50 per passenger.

Networking/referral services

• Chesapeake Regional Information Service
  Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
  This regional hotline provides information about the Chesapeake Bay restoration effort. Callers can listen to recorded information about Bay news, request printed information or speak directly with the CRIS director for answers to specific questions. Call (800) 662-CRIS from a touch-tone phone.

Newsletters/magazines

• Bay Journal
  Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
  This newsletter, a public education service of the Chesapeake Bay Program, is intended to inform the public about issues and events that affect the Chesapeake Bay and to expose readers to ways in which they may help preserve and protect the Chesapeake Bay. Free; contact ACB for ordering information.

• CBF News
  Chesapeake Bay Foundation
  This newsletter is published for CBF members. Contact CBF for membership information.

• Bay Watcher Bulletin
  Chesapeake Bay Foundation
  This newsletter provides information on the active corps of CBF volunteers known as Bay Watchers and focuses on legislative issues, citizen involvement and conservation projects. Contact CBF for information about volunteering.

• a fair Bay
  Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
  This quarterly newsletter features articles about research and monitoring in progress on Reserve sites; a regular feature, "Species Watch," about species found on Reserve sites that have or have had ecological problems; and news about the program, its work and its volunteers. Contact CBNERR.

Posters

• Inside the Chesapeake Bay
  Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay This poster is a graphic portrait of the Bay and some of the many facets of this national treasure and the forces that can harm it. Contact ACB. Single copies are free; multiple copies available with payment of postage.

Posters

• Chesapeake
  Watershed Initiative/The Tides Foundation
  This full-color interactive poster of the Bay's brackish communities was designed by the Environmental Arts Center. A color overlay lifts to reveal underwater life and natural history text. Available for $24.95 from WI/TF; instructors' discounts available.

Publications

• Baybook
  Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
  This 32-page guide gives tips for reducing water pollution at home. Contact ACB. Single copies are free; each additional copy is $1.

• River fact sheets
  Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
  This series consists of one-page fact sheets about the Chesapeake Bay and each of its tributaries. Each fact sheet includes a map, a brief history of the region, and a description of the particular problems and possible remedies for each river basin. Available free from ACB.

• Chesapeake Watershed Educational Materials Catalog
  Watershed Initiative/The Tides Foundation
  This catalog lists Chesapeake Bay watershed educational materials available at a discount to educators. Contact WI/TF for a copy.

• Chesapeake Bay: Nature of the Estuary, A Field Guide
  Watershed Initiative/The Tides Foundation
  This field guide to the common plants and animals of the wetlands and waters of the Bay and its tributaries is a primer on Bay ecology. It was written and illustrated by Christopher White and Karen Teramura, and includes line drawings of more than 350 species in nine major habitats. Available for $12.95 from WI/TF; instructors' discounts available.

• Endangered and Threatened Wildlife of the Chesapeake Bay Region
  Watershed Initiative/The Tides Foundation
  This handbook to endangered and threatened plants and animals of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia includes color photographs and maps. Available for $5.50 from WI/TF.

• Life in the Chesapeake Bay
  Watershed Initiative/The Tides Foundation
  This illustrated guide to fish, invertebrates and plants of the Chesapeake Bay includes line drawings of 335 species. It was written and illustrated by R. L. and A. J. Lippson. Available from WI/TF for $15.95; educational discounts are available.

• Chadwick and the Garplegrungen
  Watershed Initiative/The Tides Foundation
  This is one of the "Chadwick the Crab" series of children's books by Priscilla Cummings. Chadwick and his friends encounter green and purple gunk in the Bay and try to get rid of it. Available from WI/TF for $8.95; educational discounts available.

• Turning the Tide: Saving the Chesapeake Bay
  Watershed Inititative/The Tides Foundation
  This book summarizes the current state of the Bay and includes recommendations for improving it. It was written by Tom Horton and William Eichbaum. Available from WI/TF for $14.95.

Slide shows/films

• Land and Water: Managing Growth in the Chesapeake Region
  Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
  This 20-minute slide/tape program describes how land development and population growth are affecting the Chesapeake Bay region and explores a wide variety of ideas and solutions for managing growth more effectively. Available for loan at no cost to schools and organizations; contact ACB.

Videos

• Chesapeake: The Twilight Estuary
  Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
  This 40-minute video, produced by Maryland Sea Grant, documents the search for causes of the decline of Bay grasses and makes a strong connection between land activities and water quality. Available for loan at no cost to schools and organizations; contact ACB.

Youth camp/projects

• Chesapeake Bay Youth Conservation Corps
  Chesapeake Bay Youth Conservation Corps
  This program involves at-risk teens of the South Hampton Roads area in environmental projects on the Bay and its tributaries. The program provides services such as water testing and wetland restoration; participants also build blue bird and wood duck boxes. Contact CBYCC for additional information.

Education directory table of contents

Updated 10/7/98